Does it always get a little worse before it gets better? Pills?

Hey there

So, being an anxious person, I decided I would just go ahead and post this.

I am dealing with a mixture of GAD, OCD, and Depression. Mostly the first two.
I have been off and on several pills, and now am starting my second SSRI, Paxil. I had taken Citalopram previously and it hadn't really worked that well with me. I didn't feel much "anxiety coverage" by the pill.

Anyway- in a previous post, someone mentioned the average time is 4-6 weeks for the medication to fully be in your blood stream, and for everything to start calming down. I have also read that sometimes a new medication can cause a spike in symptoms for the time being, as your body adjusts accordingly.

Well, I can say that I definitely feel an increase in my OCD (more commonly occurring racing thoughts, etc.) Over the past few months, I have learned how to cope with it, and the anxiety, but it has gotten stronger in the past few days with this new medication. Not severely different, but I can say that I feel a bit increased anxiousness and things of that sort. Is this normal? I just need a bit of reaffirmation. Does it/can it get a bit worse before the real improvement comes?

I also take Lorazepam as needed, but I don't want to rely on it as my doctor said a month of continued usage can require you to wean off of it like a normal pill.

Any advice? I am trying to stay strong and wait those 4-6 weeks out! Just need some support. Thank you much.

Thank you for answering- that's comforting. It sucks knowing that, but I'm glad it doesn't necessarily mean that these are the wrong pills for me. That's the thing I worry about the most. I'm so ready to feel good again, I think I get myself all worked up when I feel this increase in anxiety. Eye on the prize for sure.

What you're feeling is totally normal and many doctors and patients find that an initial increase in anxiety symptoms is a sign that the drug is going to be successful for you. And yes, stay away from the benzos (Xanax, Ativan, klonopin, etc..) long term. Your body can become dependent on them and form a tolerance which only leads to needing to take a higher dosage of the benzo to achieve the same relief. I suggest cardio exercise, staying hydrated, watching funny movies (distraction), avoiding sugar and caffeine, and deep breathing exercises for the next week just to get you over the hump of the increased anxiety. Best of luck!

OCgirl_ said...
What you're feeling is totally normal and many doctors and patients find that an initial increase in anxiety symptoms is a sign that the drug is going to be successful for you. And yes, stay away from the benzos (Xanax, Ativan, klonopin, etc..) long term. Your body can become dependent on them and form a tolerance which only leads to needing to take a higher dosage of the benzo to achieve the same relief. I suggest cardio exercise, staying hydrated, watching funny movies (distraction), avoiding sugar and caffeine, and deep breathing exercises for the next week just to get you over the hump of the increased anxiety. Best of luck!

Thank you for letting me know this! It really helps to read that it may actually be a good sign, after all. I worry so much about "dumb" things like this- and knowing that all this may actually be a sign that the pills will be effective, really makes me feel a lot better.

As for the Benzos, I haven't been taking them much lately, but did today because I was experiencing some major anxiety. It happens from time to time. I do know that they help me sleep as well, and I definitely enjoy that aspect. I don't want to have to rely on them, however. But we shall see how Paxil works after being on it longer. Hopefully I won't need the benzo's any more.